


Slightly Wider Line

by robertstanion



Series: Fine Line [2]
Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid, Hatchetfield Universe - Team StarKid
Genre: Angst, Babyfic, California, F/M, Fluff, Songfic, brief nmt spoilers, ethan green is a loveable idiot, injuries, some people come back from the dead, tags to be updated, they made it to california woo!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:20:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25383721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robertstanion/pseuds/robertstanion
Summary: They made it to California, but what consequences emerge when Lex discovers she's pregnant?
Relationships: Chad/Henry Hidgens, Cineplex Teen/Hot Chocolate Boy (Black Friday), Lex Foster/Ethan Green
Series: Fine Line [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1744753
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11





	1. Nedlog

**Author's Note:**

> right, let's clear things up. 1. Yes, Heartbreak Weather was the sequel to Fine Line, but I didn't vibe with it, so I decided to use the songs from Fine Line (again) but rewrite them to a second person POV, which is why we now have the title of Slightly Wider Line. and that's the second thing. i don't know what to call this book so deal with it. i will also be writing each chapter title backwards

There was silence in the room as Ethan looked back over the tests, each donning two lines. After confirming with himself that they were legitimate, he looked back to Lex, who was teary-eyed and avoiding his gaze. Neither spoke for a moment, Ethan’s jaw hanging open in shock. A father. How could _he_ be a father? He’d grown up in a shitty environment on a shitty island, and, since the age of 11, had been left home alone for days, which became weeks, on end. He had to learn to cook, to clean, to do everything himself. He had to teach himself how to do everything from scrap. He got no assistance from his father when it came to topics such as girls, so his search history got deleted every other day. It wasn’t his fault. He was just embarrassed.

He spent too much time with his uncle as he grew up who taught him the basics, but when it came to the talk of relationships, there was a clear difference between them. This became clearer during when his uncle tried to teach him about sex, and Ethan had to politely remind his flaring homosexual uncle that he had a female lean, which lead to a very awkward silence.

He never had a stable father figure in his life, and now _he_ was going to be someone’s dad. Half of his DNA was growing inside of Lex and they’d only been dating for five months. His head was spinning and he had to put the tests down as he gripped the bed. Tears filled his own eyes at the realisation. As soon as he and Lex had gotten together, he knew she was the one he wanted to spend forever with. He did want a baby with her, he wanted to marry her, he wanted to prove her worth, but they were young adults. They couldn’t afford this.

Taking a breath, sniffling softly, he wiped his eyes again. He looked back to Lex, eyes wide. “Are you really pregnant?”

She didn’t wait to nod, laughing shakily. “Yeah. Yeah, I think so.”

“How long have you known?” His voice cracked as she finally sat beside him.

She set her hands in her lap and bit her lip, another tear falling on to the overs. “It’s not how long I knew. It’s how long _Ollie_ knew.”

“Why would Ollie know before you?” He asked, shuffling closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

She cuddled into him and wiped her eyes again. “Ollie was observant. He noticed how pale I got when I felt nauseated, he noticed how severe my mood swings were as well as how tired I became. He put two and two together…and then bugged me for days until I got a pregnancy test. I got a few on my way over to Cali…” She looked up at him, noticing a tear falling down Ethan’s face. “You aren’t upset with me because of this, are you?”

“Oh, Lex…” Ethan hugged her tighter, which was the tightest he could go. “I’m not upset. I’m just scared. You’re 18, I’m 19, my uncle is back home in Hatchetfield, neither of us had good upbringings and I’m scared of fucking up.”

“Me too,” Lex admitted, wrapping her arms around Ethan’s waist.

“As well as that, I’m injured, I can’t get a job to tend to you, Ollie and Hannah…fuck, what are we gonna do? I know I’ve always said that I’d do anything to support you, Banana and my dumbfuck cousin…but now there’s someone else about to come into our lives in less than a years time…how are we gonna do this?”

“I don’t know…” Lex admitted. “But I want to know, and I won’t stop until I find the answer. I’m scared of the pain, of the responsibility I’ve got to have, and _I_ don’t even have a plan. I thought I’d be alone in Hatchetfield still. I never thought I’d be in California with the best person in the world.”

“I’m definitely not the best person in the world, but I appreciate the compliment,” he said, wiping his tears away, the remaining few drying up in his eyes. “But we’re keeping the baby?”

“I wouldn’t exchange this for the world,” Lex said. Ethan offered a weak smile, kissing her hair as he hugged her. “I love you, Ethan.”

“I love you too, Lex.” He said and rubbed his eyes, looking to the window. He wasn’t able to resist another smile, that strengthened slowly. He gently nudged her. “Hey, babe?”

“Hmm?” She asked, looking up at him. He gestured to the window, where she looked, before turning back to him, confused.

“Golden.”

“Golden?”

“Golden.” Ethan repeated, moving Lex’s hair out of her eyes. “You remember when we first met outside of school? In Toy-Zone? How the air was practically glowing gold.”

“Yeah…yeah, I do,” Lex tucked her hair behind her ear as she looked back at the sun flooding in the room. “It was like the universe was sending us a sign that everything would end up alright.”

“Exactly.” Ethan kissed her hair again as he took the positive tests in his hand, keeping them in Lex’s eyesight. “So if it was golden back in Hatchetfield, and the weather forecast for today, yesterday and the rest of the week in California, I know because I’ve been checking for days, was supposed to rain…?”

“Is this another sign? That everything’s going to be okay?” She asked, choking back on her tears again. Ethan nodded and squeezed her in the hug.

“I think that’s what’s being said right now. I think this is our sign that no matter what, we’ll wind up okay.” He cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes, stroking the tears away from her face. “You opened your eyes to the truth.”

“What? That this is our sign?”

“Exactly.” He said and placed the tests in her hand. “Hold them, look at me.”

She looked at him and wiped her eyes, hiding her smile. “You look like shit.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s expected from someone who was beaten up.” He said and squeezed her hand gently. “Focus. We’re gonna be parents, and I’m hoping we can do this.”

“Me too.” Lex sighed as she closed her eyes, squeezing his hand back. He was alive, and he would recover. He was going to work his ass off to assist her, as he’d promised from day one, and he’d be the best dad on the planet. He wouldn’t get up and leave like her own father, even if he’d promised to return one day, and he certainly wouldn’t be like his own father. “This takes you back, doesn’t it?”

“What?”

“To when we were back in Hatchetfield, clueless about the future. We’re taken back to our light where claimed you knew that I was way too bright for you, that I was the light you so desperately needed.”

“You’re the strongest person I know. You’ve been through shit I could never imagine, Lex. You lost your dad, you had the shittiest mother on the planet and _you_ raised Hannah from birth. You got a job, you stole for Hannah. You lost everything and still kept your head up high. You lay down the path for Hannah to trek on.”

“You’re hopeless,” she said, opening her eyes as she glanced at him. “And also very broken down.”

“Well, I’m not dead, but I’m pretty sure my soul is waiting for you.”

“Where? In the sky?” She teased, and Ethan rolled his eyes.

“Maybe. Maybe my soul is gonna be the reason you get a fuckin badass tan-“

“You want to go to the beach, don’t you?”

“I think everyone does, but I don’t think I can move right now.”

“Alright, golden boy. I think I’m gonna go and start on dinner.”

“You’re out of your head if you think you’re leaving without me.”

“I wouldn’t ever leave without you.” She said and looked at him. She set the pregnancy tests in the drawer, sliding it shut, before taking his hands in her own. “And, besides, you _know_ that I’m scared of getting my heart broken by you.”

“I would _never_ do that. You’re my sun.”

“You’re a sap.” She said, now smiling as she let go of his hands, standing up. “We’re eating up here together. You rest now, okay?”

“Alright, I love you.”

Lex’s heart fluttered again as she heard him. She kept her back turned to him as she closed the curtains so it’d be easier for him to sleep. She turned around once the room was darker, watching him shuffle under the covers, closing his eyes. “I love you too,” she said softly.

She stood there for a moment, taking in the man in front of her. He did look like shit, his face covered in bruises from where he’d fallen and hit the ground, and his shirt was blood stained. His hair was matted, but with every rise and fall of his shoulders, she knew he was alive. She noticed how he had a smile on his face despite everything. _This_ was the man she’d fallen in love with. The man who’d stayed by her side at the smoke club, who’d lent her cigarettes in class, who got into weekly fights in high school. He was the father to her baby, and she couldn’t be happier. She was loved, and he loved her sister too. He was perfect. She wanted to go and start on dinner, but something kept telling her to go and lay beside him.

She gave into her instincts, opening her bag, pulling out one of his shirts. She undressed before pulling on his shirt, walking over to the bed, leaving her clothes scattered on the floor. She got in the bed, which now had enough room for the two of them, feeling Ethan wrap his arms around her. She smiled and relaxed in to him. “You don’t wanna be alone, do you?” She asked, telling he wasn’t actually asleep, just awake with his eyes closed.

“More like _you_ don’t wanna be alone.” He teased, pulling her closer to him, wincing when she brushed over the bruise on his stomach.

“Shh, shh, go to sleep.” She said, holding him. “I’m here.”

“I know, and I’m going to sleep. Hush.” He grumbled.

Lex chose not to speak again, knowing he was in need of rest. She was scared he’d slip, and it was the only reason why she didn’t want to leave him alone. She didn’t fall asleep, but Ethan did, and he did very quickly. She knew his recovery would mainly be taking medicine, Ollie assisting him around the house while Lex cooked, before Ethan slept again. If that was the case, then so be it. She’d rather have a sleeping Ethan than a dead one.

A few moments after, the door opened. Lex looked up to see Ollie standing there, pushing his glasses up his nose. They looked at each other and Ollie went to back away.

“Ollie, we aren’t fucking. He’s asleep.”

“Yeah, well, you’ll probably end up fucking and Ethan will try to announce it to me again, so when it ends-“

“I don’t think I wanna let you know.” Lex cringed and looked up to Ethan’s cousin. “I thought you and Hannah were going to the beach?”

“She wanted to wait until we could all go as a family, which is understandable. It’s nicer that way.”

Lex nodded, feeling Ethan’s arms hold her tighter. She smiled and squeezed him back. “Anyway, Ollie, what did you need?”

“Oh. Me and Hannah wanted to go get ice cream.”

“Go get ice cream, just bring Ethan back a shit ton of it.”

“Got it, ma’am!” Ollie smiled and left the room again.

Lex sighed and nuzzled into Ethan as he slept. He was okay because it seemed her love was the antidote for the poison that had tried to kill him. She knew that they were both scared about their near future, and there wasn’t anything they could do about that for now. As long as they went to the doctor’s appointments, and checked in with Becky regularly, and also did their research, then maybe they’d be okay. Maybe, just maybe, they’d wind up happy.   
  



	2. Watermelon Sugar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ethan makes lex breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyways so my songfic capabilities died during this chapter so deal with this just over 1000 words one. all my motivation has been going into If You Want If You Dare (which you should go and read because it isn't just mcnamander this time !! because xander isn't even there!!!) anyways:

Settling down into California wasn’t hard at all. They spent the majority of their days cruising on the couch, some shitty romcom on the TV that was there for them. There wasn’t much that they _could_ do while Ethan’s injuries healed. There also wasn’t much that Lex could do, especially with the heavy morning sickness she started to experience. Most days, she was left weakened, unable to walk. It started early in the morning and ended late at night. She got little to no sleep. 7

Ethan was her hero. Truly. Even during the tail end of his recovery, he was still incredibly generous towards her. He’d stay in bed with her, get her the medicine she needed, the small things like that. He was the best boyfriend she could ever ask for, and they hadn’t known each other all too long. Not properly, anyways. They’d known each other since grade school, but never had Lex ever thought she’d be in California with Ethan _fucking_ Green. That kind of thing didn’t happen; not in Hatchetfield, at least. He was the popular, hot, stoner kid. And she? She was nothing special. She was trailer trash.

Yet, Ethan never seemed to think of her in anything less than a rose-coloured light.

She loved him even more lately. He became her everything more than ever before. He’d rub her back and tie her hair up as she was throwing up. He’d cook for Ollie and Hannah and _still_ find time to try and score a job. Lex wanted to. Unfortunately, fate had _not_ been her best friend, and a double lined pregnancy test had postponed her plans until a year or two. She hoped to be some sort of actress before settling down. Now, she _had_ to speed up her life.

They started planning for the baby. Ethan, as persistent as he was, ensured the baby was _not_ going to confide to stereotypes. He’d get the baby whatever the _fuck_ they wanted, or so he kept saying. He overwhelmed himself with his own plans, telling Lex about them all, and even in her tired states, she always found it in herself to smile as he gushed over his excitement about his baby.

She knew him and Tony never had a good relationship. Tony offered Ethan a job back in Hatchetfield to get him through high school, but then Ethan dropped out. Ethan had confessed Tony hadn’t been impressed with him, wanting his son to be the kid that he never was. He became surprisingly emotional when he talked about his father, and she found herself doubting if he truly had a bad connection with his father. They rarely spoke about parentage, so she would, most likely, never discover the answer.

Seeing Ethan gushing about their growing baby…it made her feel somewhat excited for their future. She could see it in his eyes, how badly he wanted to try with her, to try to raise a family. She was willing to comply with him. After all, he was her everything currently, and she aimed to please him no matter what it took.

Being nauseous, however, she couldn’t do anything. When it came to making breakfast, it was Ethan on it. He promised her that he’d be back up as quick as he could be and grinned. From her position on the bed, she could hear the groaning of Ollie complaining to Ethan about something, and also Hannah humming some tune to herself. She heard the sound of something frying downstairs and also the blender switching on. All the senses added to the nausea, and she had to fight back everything in her to throw up again.

After what seemed like an eternity, there was a soft knock at the door, and her pyjama-wearing boyfriend walked up the stairs, a plate balanced on his left hand, his right holding a drink of some sort. He flashed her a grin and walked into the room, sitting beside her on the bed. He moved her hair out of her face and held the drink out to her. “Taste it.”

“I’m not gonna be able to keep it down…”

“It’s got your medicine in it. Baby, come on. Just for me? Please?” He asked and his lower lip curled downwards, and he gave her puppy-dog eyes, something Lex had learnt he was unusually good at doing.

She rolled her eyes and gripped his arm to hoist herself up, taking the drink. She took a sip and expected it to almost rush back out of her, but it didn’t. “It...tastes like strawberries?”

Ethan clicked his fingers and pointed one at her in a finger-guns style motion. “Wrong.” He said and moved in closer. “It’s kiwi, banana and cherry. Your favourite. And, you got the leftovers for breakfast. I know they’re some foods you’ve been able to keep down.” He ran his fingers through her hair and smiled.

Lex smiled thankfully at him and took another sip before leaning against his shoulder. “On a summer evening…”

“What?” Ethan asked, a chuckle punctuating his sentence.

She shrugged. “The drink. It’s all very summery, you know? And…it’s nearly February.”

“What? You excited for summer?”

“Oh, definitely.” She sighed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “We can take Hannah and Ollie to the beach, like they’ve been wanting.” She shook her head. “I just wanna hear them laughing again.”

“And it sounds just like a song?” He asked, and Lex rolled her eyes, shoving him gently.

“Shut up.”

_“You want more berries-“_

“I hate you.”

_“And that summer feeling-“_

“I genuinely hate you.”

_“It’s so wonderful and warm-“_

“Oh my god.” Lex laughed as Ethan leaned in closer, continuing to sing, wrapping his arms around her waist.

_“Breathe you in, breathe you out. I don’t know how I could ever go without. I’m just thinking out loud. I don’t know how I could ever go without, watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar high. Watermelon sugar-“_

“Ethan that song is _literally_ about sex.” Lex laughed as he buried his face into her hair. She crossed her arms over her chest as he continued to sing, practically ignoring her.

 _“Strawberries, on a summer evenin’. Baby you’re the end of June. I want your belly, and that summer feelin’. Getting washed away with you-_ come on baby. Sing it.”

“That’s not gonna happen.”

“Aww come on! Spoil sport. I haven’t heard you sing in fuckin’ _months!”_

“And for a good reason!” She shook her head again before turning to face him again, only to see him doing the same puppy dog eyes as he was doing before. She started to sing, reasonably, and she felt his smile radiate through his own voice as he started to sing back with her, and she found herself wondering once more how she ended up so lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> am i the ceo of starting a project and waiting 5 months to continue it or smth? bcs i swear i did the same for fine line smh


	3. Uoy Eroda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ethan and lex take the kids to the beach, and some kids come back from the dead you know, *the usual*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am not sorry for the lack of updating-

The plans had been to take Hannah and Ollie down to the beach eventually. Unfortunately, eventually stretched to months until Lex’s morning sickness faded. So, by the time they were on the beach, Lex was at her fourth month, about to hit her fifth. But, the kids hadn’t seemed to have minded. Because, as soon as they stepped foot on the beach, Hannah and Ollie took off like rockets, leaving Ethan and Lex alone.

Lex had fussed over Hannah, warning her that if she went too far that she could get hurt, so she must stay in sight at all times. Ollie had rolled his eyes at her fussing, as had Ethan, but he’d promised to protect Hannah as he carried her down to the sea. She sat down, in one of Ethan’s shirts she was wearing as a dress like item of clothing and shorts. She remained focused on the sea, almost scared to take her eyes off of Hannah in case she got lost. Then, she felt Ethan’s arm wrap around her shoulders.

“Babe, she’s fine. And Ollie. They both are. Nothing can hurt ‘em here, you know? Not out here in California.”

Lex sighed, leaning into his touch, brushing some of the sand off of her legs. “I know. It won’t stop me worrying about her, though.”

“It’s instinctive. Especially with the baby on the way. You got an urge to protect her. I mean, you did before, but now it’s kinda been…emphasised.”

“It’s called pregnancy hormones, Ethan.” She chuckled with him, resting her head on his shoulder. They’d decided to get there as the sun was about to set, later on in the evening, so it would be quieter for Hannah to cope with. They both agreed that Ollie could do with some peace and quiet as well. “And you can’t just place the blame on me. You’d cry if anything happened to her.”

“Course I would!” He looked at her, his eyes wide, almost offended she even bought the subject up. “She’s fuckin’ adorable! She deserves everythin’. Literally, _everythin’.”_

“And I don’t?”

Ethan laughed and wrapped his arms around her better. “I think you know the answer to that, Lexi. You deserve everythin’ _and_ more.”

She smiled then, a light blush dusting her cheeks, listening to the peace of the California coastline aside from Hannah and Ollie’s playful squeals. She placed a hand over her bump, shutting her eyes contently. She didn’t need anything else _but_ her family, and if her family was just Ethan, Ollie and Hannah, then…well. She couldn’t ask for more. “I still can’t believe we made it.”

“You wanna see the proof we ain’t dreamin’?” He asked and lifted up his curls, revealing the scar from where he’d been kicked in the head.

She winced and pushed his curls back over the scar. “Still…it’s _hardly_ a rainbow paradise, is it?”

“It don’t gotta be. This is our paradise.” He smiled and kissed her forehead, shaking his head so his hair fell back into place. “Me, you and the kids. If Ollie is even considered a kid at this point…” he made himself laugh with the theory he came up with. “Nah, I’m jokin’. He’s a kid at heart.”

Lex nodded with him, lying back against the towel she was sat on. She put her sunglasses on her eyes, her arms behind her head. “But we got here. That was the important thing, wasn’t it?”

“Well, I’d have gotten you and Ollie to California from beyond the grave if I could.” At that, Ethan received a slap to his arm. He laughed again, rubbing the spot. He’d dropped his usual heavy hitting punk-like outfit for something lighter. He was still dressed in one of his old band tees, but he wasn’t wearing the leather jacket or the boots. He was in trainers and paler jeans. “I forget how strong you are sometimes babe.”

“You won’t when I break your hand when I go into labour.”

Ethan winced, scrunching his face up, making a mental note not to upset Lex when she did go into labour. “I’ll be by ya side, you realise? I think I’d kick myself if I missed the birth of our baby. Our tiny little baby-“

“You’re getting ahead of yourself, Green.” She shook her head at his antics, sitting herself up. She checked the time on her small wristwatch, reaching into her bag, where she pulled out the snack she’d bought down for them all. She knew that Hannah definitely got cranky if she didn’t have a snack throughout the day, so she’d put together chocolate covered strawberries as a treat. “Can you call ‘em over, Eth?”

“Yeah, I got it.” He beamed and kissed her softly, sitting himself up. “Hannah! Oliver! Over here for a second!” He watched as the two stopped playing, turning around and running back to where they were sitting. They were both giggling, two wide smiles on their faces.

“Take a break, you two.” Lex told them, dishing out the small paper plates she bought with her as well. She’d had the idea to treat them all to a mini picnic as a celebration for getting out of Hatchetfield and to where they truly belonged. She handed the plates out, and watched as Ollie and Hannah nattered in what seemed like gibberish. She couldn’t resist the smile that inevitably formed. She passed Ethan his plate, kissing him softly once she’d done so.

“Thank you, babe.”

Lex nodded at him, tucking into her own strawberries, completely at peace with her small family. She leaned against Ethan’s shoulder, relying on him to stay sat up. The extra weight of the baby made it difficult for her to sit up sometimes, and today was one of those days. Once Ollie and Hannah had finished off their strawberries, she sent them playing, relaxing with Ethan once more. She took their plates and placed them back into her bag, ready to dispose once they got home. She reached into her bag again, grabbing a pocket mirror and a lip-gloss. She could see Ethan’s eyebrow raise in the mirror’s reflection.

“Lipstick?”

“Lip _gloss_ dumby.” She smiled as she reapplied it. “It’s strawberry flavoured, by the way.”

“Strawberry…lipstick?” Ethan asked, furrowing his eyebrows at the sudden revelation.

“No. Lip _gloss._ It’s like lipstick, except it doesn’t really pigment your lips. It makes them shinier.”

“Well, I think makeup has too many unnecessary names. I should rename them all. Like _lipstick 2.0_ and _stick makes my girlfriend look hot.”_

“Eyeliner?”

“Yes.”

“Eyeliner isn’t hard to remember.”

“It is when your fuckin’ dumb like me!”

“Hey.” She took his hand, turning her head to look at him. “You’re not dumb.”

He shrugged, not really affected by his own words. “I dropped out of school.”

“And so did I, that doesn’t mean I’m dumb, does it?”

“No.”

“Exactly. You gotta keep a positive state of mind.” She cupped his cheek to prove her point. Instead of watching the point click in his mind, he smiled dopily.

“I get so lost inside your eyes, Lexi. You’re so pretty.”

“I’d ask if you’re stoned but we haven’t actually gotten stoned since Hatchetfield. Can you believe that?”

“It’s not _can_ I believe it, babe. It’s _will_ I. And no, I would not believe it.” He laughed softly and kissed her cheek. “I love you.”

“You don’t have to say you love me every four seconds.”

“But I wanna.” He pouted, but in return, he received a kiss.

“You don’t have to say _nothin’.”_ She ‘booped’ his nose affectionately, watching as he blushed again. “You don’t have to say-“

“I’m gonna say it, because I love you. I bet everyone else would flaunt the fact you were their girlfriend if it was anyone else. You’re mine, honey.” He sighed, leaning back against the beach towel, helping Lex to lie beside him. It was silent between them for a second until he turned on his side, looking at her. “I’d still walk through fire for you-“

“Oh my god.” She laughed and looked at him. “You stand on that?”

“Of course I do!”

“It’s fucking _dumb!”_

“You lit a _mall on fire!”_

“You almost died!”

“Just let me _adore_ you!” He put on a fake posh accent to make fun of the one and only Linda Monroe. He received another playful slap to his arm. He laughed again, rubbing the area once more. “I would.”

“Walk through fire for me?”

“Exactly.”

“You don’t need to do that to prove that you adore me, Eth.”

“Never said I would! I said I would walk through fire with the implication I would be saving your life.”

“If anyone was walking through fire, it’d be me to bust you and your crackhead cousin out of a building you both lit on fire.”

Ethan hesitated for a second before nodding again, his face showing no signs of protesting. “Nope. You got that right actually. I’ll shut up now.”

She softly and looked up at the sky, content. “It’s a wonder we even made it here…every sky is a summer sky in Cali.”

“That’s right.” He grinned and kissed her forehead, relaxing once more.

* * *

Ollie had been making sure Hannah was safe a _lot._ The move to Cali wasn’t easy on any of them. They had to adjust to a whole new lifestyle, meaning thinner clothes, hotter weather, and better coffee. He had to admit, there were days where he missed Hatchetfield, but he never missed it because it was Hatchetfield. No. He missed his boyfriend- _ex-_ boyfriend, his dads, his uncle. He missed the smoke club, he missed everything he used to have. But there he stood, splashing in the sea with Hannah, convinced that those people were dead.

That was maybe why he’d jumped out of his skin when he heard a familiar voice call his name. 

He put it down to his imagination, but he heard it again, and again, and then it was softly accompanied by the padding of trainers against sand. His heart sunk. He only knew this was gonna lead to heartbreak. He looked to the sky, and saw the sun setting. Lex probably wanted them to walk back soon anyway, so he suggested to Hannah to go back. Luckily, she agreed with him, skipping along the sand. Ollie walked with her, until he felt a hand on his arm. He swallowed and looked behind him. He grit his teeth as he saw three other figures trying to catch up with him.

He was in a _lot_ of trouble. 

He told Hannah to go back to Lex and Ethan, which she did, and he moved his hand out of the other’s grasp. There was a momentary silence between the two teens, until the other spoke. “You got a tan-“

“What are you doing here? You died. I was there when you died, I was in The Cineplex _when you died!”_ He looked up at him, trying to figure out a reasonable conclusion, but failed. He had no idea why his ex-boyfriend was standing before him.

“Uh, thank your dad?” He questioned, smiling sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Would you believe it, Ollie? He bought me back from the-“

“Even so,” he said, cutting him off. “We broke up. I moved on.” He knew that in a heartbeat, he’d take him back, but he wouldn’t let him know that. 

“I-.” That seemed to silence him. “Look, Ollie, you don’t have to say you love me, I just wanna tell you something-“ But by that point, Ollie was turning his back, walking away, his shoulders sinking slightly. “Lately you’ve been on my mind!” His voice became rushed as he ran to catch up with him, almost slipping on the sand. He grabbed Ollie’s hand again and clasped it in his. “I never _ever_ loved Grace Chastity.”

“That’s an obvious lie-“

“Because I loved you.” He squeezed Ollie’s hand, looking into his eyes. “Please. Just give me a second chance. I won’t fuck up again.”

Ollie considered it, his heart settling on an answer. “How can I trust you again, Lucas?”

“I don’t know just-!” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I got three different jobs to get myself up here. Your dads and your Uncle Tony paid themselves. I worked at The Cineplex, Watcher World and Pizza Pete’s to try and find you. You could have been anywhere in California and I found you again _first try._ ” He looked at him desperately. “And I _know_ that I fucked up badly, and I’m sorry the last conversation we had with each other was a fight but Ollie, Oliver Hidgens, I never stopped loving you. And to prove it, I bust the rest of ya family out here with me!”

Ollie saw enough evidence. He grabbed Lucas’ face, pulling him into a kiss. Almost as soon as he did, he heard Ethan’s voice shouting at him. He smiled and kissed Lucas back harder, hearing Ethan’s voice getting nearer and nearer. Eventually, Ethan pulled Ollie away from Lucas, pulling Ollie behind his back protectively. “You hurt my little cousin!”

“Yes, I did but-“

“I’m fuckin’ gonna-“

“Ethan?”

Ethan’s head whipped around, his eyes widening drastically. He became fairly speechless at the sight. Like himself, the taller man (but by an inch) had long black hair that, instead of it being curled, sat on top of his shoulders in waves. He wore a set of old overalls and sneakers, a baseball cap accompanying his outfit. Beside him were two other men, with the one on the left having silver hair and donning a black turtleneck while the man beside him wore a letterman jacket clearly too big for him, with dark skin and short, black hair.

He must have been standing in silence for some time, for he felt an arm hook around his own. He looked down and saw Lex, looking up at him concerned. “Sweetheart? Are you okay- oh, hi Mr Green- _wait.”_

“Yep.” Ethan said and nodded, preparing himself for what was to come. He waited for his father to get a good look at the situation, as well as his two uncles, and practically felt the jaw drop from him.

“Ethan?!”

Ethan chuckled nervously, his eyes widening. “Look…I’ll explain everything but _maybe_ not on a beach?”

“Home time.” Hannah pushed her way between Lex and Ethan, looking up at Ethan, grinning wide. “Webby says so.”

“Then we obey the spider from outta space! Lead the way, Miss Banana!” Ethan’s usual personality immediately came back, making Hannah laugh. She took Lex’s other hand, swinging her arm, as the lot of them walked back to the house. Though Ethan should have been celebrating like Ollie was, he couldn’t help but feel so…so confused. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow give these kids a break except don't because i wouldn't have a story to write otherwise

**Author's Note:**

> ethan green for best dad of the year award 
> 
> (POSITIVE COMMENTS AND KUDOS ARE APPRECIATED :D)


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